The invention relates to a knitting machine needle for loop-forming and knitting machines and, in particular, to a hook needle for circular knitting machines.
Hook needles for circular knitting machines have basically been known. They have a longitudinal shank that has a hook at one end. The hook is disposed to pick up a thread and, while forming a stitch, pull said thread through a stitch that is already seated on the shank. In order to enclose the picked-up thread in the hook, it is possible to provide additional means such as, for example, latches that are pivotally supported on the shank, sliders or the like.
If the knitting operation occurs serially in a row of stitches, a so-called robbing-back effect can be observed during the stitch-forming process. The knitting needle that is knitting pulls the picked-up thread through the older stitch seated on the shank and thus pulls along the thread. A half-stitch is formed, whereby both its tuck loops are located on both sides of the hook. One tuck loop transfers to the guided threads, whereas the other tuck loop transfers to the neighboring, just previously formed, half-stitch. Referring to this knitting operation, it may be observed that, during the formation of the new half-stitch, the thread tends to be pulled over from the just previously formed half stitch, which leads to a reduction in size of the older half-stitch. This effect is referred to as the “robbing-back effect” and may be undesirable.
Considering this, it is the object of the invention to provide a knitting machine needle with which the robbing-back effect can be influenced.